The present invention relates generally to an ice storage bin and an icemaker apparatus for a refrigerator. More particularly, the present invention relates to an ice storage bin having structures for effectively improving the circulation of a cooling fluid around the ice storage bin and maintaining the ice storage bin at a proper temperature, and an icemaker apparatus using the same.
Generally, a refrigerator includes a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment which are partitioned from each other to store various foods at low temperatures in an appropriate state for a long time.
It is now common practice in the art of refrigerators to provide an automatic icemaker apparatus. In a “side-by-side” type refrigerator where the freezer compartment is arranged to the side of the fresh food compartment, the icemaker apparatus is usually disposed in the freezer compartment and delivers ice through an opening in the access door of the freezer compartment. In this arrangement, ice is formed by freezing water with cold air in the freezer compartment, the air being made cold by the cooling system or circuit of the refrigerator including an evaporator.
In a “bottom freezer” type refrigerator where the freezer compartment is arranged below a top fresh food compartment, convenience necessitates that the icemaker apparatus is disposed in the access door of the top mounted fresh food compartment and delivers ice through an opening in the access door of the fresh food compartment, rather than through the access door of the freezer compartment. Since the fresh food compartment normally has a temperature higher than the freezing point of water, a cooling circuit is implemented to maintain the temperature of the icemaker apparatus below the freezing point of water. For example, the cooling circuit may be implemented to deliver cold air from the freezer compartment or a secondary cooling liquid, such as a mixture of propylene glycol and water, as the cooling medium to cool the icemaker apparatus so that water can be converted into ice.
If a secondary cooling liquid is used to cool the icemaker apparatus, it flows or passes through a heat exchanger of the icemaker apparatus through a conduit network or loop. Since there lacks airflow around the ice storage bin in the icemaker apparatus, the temperature of the ice storage bin tends to rise above the freezing point of water. Accordingly, the ice stored in the ice storage bin may be melted and the resulting water may cause undesirable water spill through the opening on the access door.
Therefore, it would be desirable and advantageous to provide an effective configuration and scheme for implementing air circulation within the icemaker apparatus, especially around the ice storage bin, to maintain a proper temperature of the ice storage bin.